Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-13

doch.
And now Gibson had brought the
news that I.cnnox Murdoch lay dying
az Barangaroo. / cannot try 10 follow
and analyze the wild, formlcss thoughts
that worked in that dark brain Of his.
A superstitious sailor 10 begin with,
brooding for weeks together over his
own thoughts in the bush, it is in truth
scarcely 10 be wondered at If his ideas
OF the Unseen were not much higher
than those of the bronze-colored saw
ages who would come and eat
themselves stupid on Murloch's
mutton and damper around their
camp-fires near his hut. He be-
hcyed in the existence of q higher
power, whose name he sometimes used
in oaths, and TO whom, when more rev
erently inclined, he vaguely referred
but this rarely happened as "They y;
and, in sort of way, in the efficacy of
prayer, though his views on the subject
were peculiar. Only ! know that there
came TO him then, in some dim and in
articulate shape, the old, old. ever-re-
curing idea Of ga life for a life" and
the demon god whose cruel will can
only be satisfied with blood.
They came in as usual, and settled
down 20 their supper and their custom
airy monosyllabic talk. just at last,
before they turned ia for the night, one
Of them happened to ask him whether
he had seen any one that day. He
answered in his slow drawl, az he
knocked the ashes out of his pipe
against his knee:
"Gibson. from Murrays, was here
this afternoon. Came past Barangaroo.
Saws the boss is real bad. Got hurt
with tree falling on him."
There was dead silence. Then the
two interchanged comments and ques-
tons in low voice, and finally, after
having tried in vain TO get more lucid
information from him, they turned
away and wrapped themselves in their
blankets. leaving him still smoking by
the FIRE. Thereupon he looked up and
said: Zone o you stay here to-mor-
row. | wantcr TO 90 down and see
how he is" 70 which they answered
AN right, and were asleep in few
minutes.
lie sat still, watching the'dying en-
bcrs for some time longer; then he rose
slowly. put in his pocket the Finland
steel and Undertook he always carried,
stuck his knife in his belt, felt for and
found the tin pannikin which served
hlm for a drinkinS-cup, and opening
the door softly went out.
There was no moon, but it was bright
starlight and he had lived so many
wears in the bush that he knew his way
about it like a slcuth-hound. He struck
right into. the scrub, pushing and twist
ing his way through it like black fell
low: then he crossed an open, grassy
tract. dotted with gum-trecs here and
there; then, after long climb mp a
steep, quartz strewn hillside and an
abrupt descent into a gully beyond,
he came to spot that perhaps
40 white mans foot had ever
fr0dden before. 1t was n level,
grassy space. with thick y-wooded slopes
rising on three SIDES of it like en- am
uhitheatre. Tall gum trees grew about
ii here and there, but not so closely as
10 shut out the starry sky. In the mid
die was grasss-grown mound, where
tradition said that native chief was
buried there was cairn Of stones
piled on the top, and here and there
white objects, that might have been
bones. giinted in the faint light. 1t
was an uncanny place, avoided 10y
the blacks themselves for the most
part, though they came here tc
hold nightly colToboree now and then.
All was perfectly still, except for the
rushing of the creek down below and
the low, solemn stirring of the wind IL
the troe-tops. lie heaped pile of dry
sticks on the mound, going to WORK
slowly. methodically, in his everyday
fashion; set fire to it with his flint anc
steel. and stood watching it patiently
till il lcaped into a blaze; then Returned
away. and, clearing away the grass anC
leaves. drew with his knife circle
round the grave.
He stripped off his shirt and laid i
aside: then he knelt down in the circle
before the fire with his knife and pan
nilin beside him, and claspcd his hand
before his face and prayed.
He had never done such a thing II
his life bcfore-at any rate not since IN
WAS q child at his mothers knee. Per
haps the words he said may shock yo'
/ if written down-sO grotesquely bias
phemous, so pathetically horrible wer
+ they. Yet maybe there are peopl
whose inarticulate creed, If put INT
plain English, would not amount t
much better.
Lord Almighty, he said, 81 don
/ know much about this yer business
| I'm only lag, an maybe faint tn
thing for me to speak. But If yo
! want to kill any one, do kill me. Mayb
its all the same to you and, you see
nobody would miss me.
7 don't know how to say it all right
hut reckon you'll know what | NEAR
/ Strike Inc dead now, or any time yo
please. an let him get better Amen.
] -Four corners 10 my he'd,
Four angels round my head.
Hnthoyy. Mark, Luke, and John,
Bless Tie bed that lies on"
II WAS the only thing of the sort h
remembered out Of his far-oh chic
hood-perhaps the only prayer he ma
| ever learned. ItmaY be that he thougl
! il of service as a kind Of devotional Il
cantation.
He took his hands from his face an
held them clasped straight before hin
looking with vague, expectant eyes Il
70 the stars and waiting for the strook
10 fall. tie really had some eXpectatio
that it would.
There was a sudden hoarse screal
and a far-off tapping of wings IN IL
stiffness above his head. 1t was q
coole hawk, disturbed. from his nest
the highest of the stringy-barks.
MAYBE he's gone to fetch the thu
der-bolt," he thought, as fragment
Wild dim nature-myth darted throue
his mind. " WotGja, 'Cotya !" An
he murmured some words In the nau'
Ianouage-most likely charm.
Bnt all was still-the fire leaped al
aickered, and the eagle hawk did N
come back.
and drew the sharp point quickly dow
his breast; then madeanother cutacro
- Lold mn the cup to catch q